Ron's Blogs

MGS4 - A Bad Game?

NZGamer.com became a target for every PS3 fanboy when we reviewed MGS4 at 8.5/10.

We even got a bit of heat from local suppliers of the game.

We stood behind Angus Deacon’s (Ex TGC Editor/Founder) review, if you actually read the review, it is more than glowing about it's presentation –

“No PS3 owner should go without seeing this beautifully presented game in action…”

(What a pretty game! BTW - the welcome return of Raiden)

The core issue is that many have looked have looked past all the cut scenes (which there are many, in the 1^st half of the game I’ve played) and small amounts of gameplay to see this as gaming masterpiece.

Angus felt that there was far too many cutscenes and far too little gameplay.

Stuff.co.nz’s Gerald Campbell also highlighted the fact that it seemed a little too much like an interactive game.

So, 12 hours and 3 Acts into the game what are my thoughts?

I think the game is great for Metal Gear fans.

Anyone looking to climb on the MGS train to play this fantastic looking game for the first time will be lost between the conspiracies theories, the ‘war economy’ and nano machines within the first 5mins.

Over the last year NZGamer.com has swung our focus from the core audience who are known as ‘hardcore’ gamers by the Joe Bloggs media, to a more mainstream gamer (and no we haven’t sold out).

(No longer the target of Gaming Companies)

Gaming is now gone beyond just that fat, 14 year old, pizza eating guy, who plays games in his basement. Game companies have found this a few years back. You see companies like Sony via Singstar and Buzz doing extremely well of this and now Microsoft are coming to the party (maybe a bit too late) with gaming like Scene It? and Lips.

And who could forget Nintendo with the Wii???

It would make every bit of sense from those producing the content to follow suit.

Back to MGS4...

Whilst MGS4 is a beautiful game, it is a great progression from MGS3: Snake Eater, it still will have most first time gamers, or even people new to the series asking a few questions or perhaps get annoyed with the control system.

My advice is for people who’ve played all the MGS series (MGS1, MGS2 and MGS3) pick this up today, even if you need to buy a PS3.

If you’re newbie to the series play at least MGS1 & 2 and you’ll enjoy this game more than you can ever imagine.

Till next time!

 del.icio.us  Facebook  Reddit

ReplyPosted by Ubercuber on 21 July 2008, 02:44PM

Is this you apologising to the local suppliers? And since when was 8.5/10 a bad score? Since the PS3 NEEDED a killer app (and didnt get one) thats when. Reading that site with the people bashing that rating made me lol. Although - someone made a good point that it would help with more site hits.

 

ReplyPosted by Ron on 21 July 2008, 02:51PM

RE: Posted by Ubercuber on 21 July 2008, 02:44PM - Nope, I hope it doesn't come off that way. They're aware of our rating and the reasons why. People should hopefully realise that we are independant website in our scores, there's no reason for us to sell you a game or two.

 

ReplyPosted by Donutta on 21 July 2008, 04:09PM

Metal Gear Solid 4 is only really powerful if you've played the other three. There are moments in that game that are some of the best moments in video games, but only if you understand the context. You can't play with nostalgia if people have never experienced what it plays on. It's like how the power of GTA IV only exists if you've played GTA III.

The problem with giving a game a high score is that it implies the game is so awesome that only people who deliberately go out of their way to be "different" will find it a waste of their money. Metal Gear Solid 4 is so niche that giving it a perfect score would be nothing short of irresponsible for our readers.

 

ReplyPosted by stupidlikeafox on 21 July 2008, 04:26PM

"Metal Gear Solid 4 is so niche that giving it a perfect score would be nothing short of irresponsible for our readers."
exactly. this is a game for those who love the series, rather than someone new to it.
but yeah, so much for the 'killer app'. boo...

 

ReplyPosted by Munkah on 21 July 2008, 06:37PM

I completely agree with the score. The fact is that MGS4 was, to me, more like a movie with playable cut scenes than a game. When it tried to make the movies playable such as the fight scene at the end it was just awkward to control. I have no urge to replay it either...

 

ReplyPosted by Daniel1987 on 21 July 2008, 07:27PM

+1 on Liam's comments.

Not a really great idea to pick this up as your first MGS game, although you'll still enjoy it.

 

ReplyPosted by Wozza on 21 July 2008, 08:01PM

Haha I remember how people be dissin' us for that. I'd rather we upset a few fanboys and tell it how we see it than to just go with the same score every other website gives a game.

 

ReplyPosted by Chris Redfield on 21 July 2008, 09:59PM

Lies.

 

ReplyPosted by paddy01 on 22 July 2008, 10:08AM

Was just reading through the hate mail on N4G. Bwahahahahahaha. 'Time for the review hammer'?

 

ReplyPosted by howzit on 3 August 2008, 09:26PM

Yawn.

 

ReplyPosted by Ruptunex on 8 August 2008, 04:30PM

It deserved a 10 imo